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I had a real runnaround with this little rush-warbler, Bradypterys baboecala! At Seekoeivlei, yesterday at a marshy place I came across a number of these birds. What threw me is what looked like a pairing of two very different looking birds, both staying together and exhibiting similar tail cocking and wing-flicking behaviours.

I identified the warbler after a long search via a very nice photo on the African bird image database as a Little Rush-Warbler, Bradypterus baboecala. The Sasol LIG's illustration of this little fellow SUX! Roberts' multimedia images weren't much better and with Roberts VII's illustration you really have to have a good imagination to get the two images (mine and theirs) to fit!

Hi everyone. I got a warbler on Saturday morning whilst sitting in the Hadeda hide, at Marievale. I have an idea what it is but I just can't come to an excact conclusion. If it is unclear then I will leave it for a better view sometime in the future. Thanks for the help.....

arks wrote:Is this perchance a Cape reed-warbler? I saw it at Strandfontein (Cape Town) on 21 June 2012.

I think you have a little rush-warbler here. It is the only reed-dwelling warbler we have that displays the combination of rich dark-brown upperparts, dappling on the breast and that splayed tail. It also has a very distinctive call, sounding much like when one draws a stick across the supports of a railing, starting slow and accelerating towards the end. In all instances with warblers (including the cisticolas) sound is the easiest way to make an ID.

arks wrote:Is this perchance a Cape reed-warbler? I saw it at Strandfontein (Cape Town) on 21 June 2012.

I think you have a little rush-warbler here. It is the only reed-dwelling warbler we have that displays the combination of rich dark-brown upperparts, dappling on the breast and that splayed tail. It also has a very distinctive call, sounding much like when one draws a stick across the supports of a railing, starting slow and accelerating towards the end. In all instances with warblers (including the cisticolas) sound is the easiest way to make an ID.

Thanks, Johan, that was my second choice ID I chose the reed-warbler because I thought the bird was a lighter russet/brown than the sedge warbler, but I missing on rounded tail As for sound, I'm rarely close enough to hear the birds I photograph Anyway, either of those two warblers would be a new tick for me

RSA 20151-30 June Darling30 June-8 July National Arts Festival, Grahamstown8-15 July Mountain Zebra16-22 July Cape Town * * *16-28 November Cape Town29 November-20 January Darling

I apologise in advance for attaching 5 photos but this bird was the ultimate skulker. It took 5 photos to highlight all features. I took it two weeks ago at Marievale. It was completely silent.

I have narrowed it down to two possible species that I think it could be, but both are problematic. I will take a good guess (as informed by Roberts) and then ask if anyone can put me on the absolutely correct track.

I go for either Broad tailed warbler (642) or River Warbler (627). In the end I go for River Warbler. Both are just just in the area they can be found even though they are out of season somewhat. The Broad Tailed is more likely in this aspect. BUT I go for River Warbler becasue this bird was very very skulky, the undertail is lightly barred (the Broad Tailed is heavily barred), the tail is too small for a Broad tailed but just right for a River Warbler. In one photo there seems to be fine streaking on the breast (Roberts points to his in the diagram) which suggests River Warbler.

So I put my money on River Warbler. Remember - I am here to learn so if it really is something completely else please don't hesitate to say so in no uncertain terms!

Putting this so soon after the cisticolas above is bit of a cheek but please help if you can.

Sorry all - in the above post I put in the same photo twice instead of the one I wanted to showing the underside of the tail. This one shows the light barring I spoke of that makes me think River Warbler. My son says I am wrong and that it is a Broad-tailed.

Marievale's habitat is not right for River Warbler which prefers bushveld close to water. Furthermore, Broad-tailed Warbler would be out of range and in a sense River Warbler too. River Warbler is a very rare visitor during wet summers.

This is a Little Rush-Warbler if I look at the broadish tail and the feint streaking on the breast.

Thanks for the help. I got the Cisticola but the Warbler I got horribly wrong - now what did I learn from my last three forays into these forums? I learnt that DETAIL is everything. Look at ALL aspects in detail. I clearly did not pay enough attention to distribution. And when it came to the Honeyguide (under General Birds) I missed the malar stripe. Now when I look at the photo I ask myself "How could you have missed that massive stripe!" Positively embarrassing.

My work colleagues are all aware of my birding hobby and when I explained these forums to them they were astonished. I described my taking part in the forums as "my daily stress pill". And it is. When you are concentrating on photos and Roberts and Sasol and Newman how can one worry about other things? Cares fly away - just like birds do before you have photographed them!

Thanks again. I am going to put on one more LBJ next week. I must first struggle with it a bit more, but the photos are rather bad as the light was poor in the forest. My problem now lies in this LBJ with a forked tail that should not be forked!